Washing-machine



L. MAPLES. WASHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 12. 1920.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

' apart of this specification.

PATENT OFFICE,

LAWRENCE MAPLE IS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

I WASHING-MACHINE.

Application filed April 12,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE MAPLEs, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State -ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a'full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had'to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which formThis invention relates to a novel support for an agitating device, suchfor instance as the dolly of a washing machine, wherein the mechanismfor operating the agitating device is sustained on the support, whichlatter is in turn sustained on the rim of a vessel such as a tub, barrelor the like for containing .the material to be agitated.

' The present invention is shown as adapt-- ed to a washing machine andin such adaptation the agitating device is a known form .of dolly whoseoperating shaft extends upwardlythrough the support and is connect-.

ed by gearing to the actuating mechanism, which latter may be a handdrivenor a power driven device. For the practical purprzses of adeviceof this character the mech anism will usually be operated by hand power.

The principal purpose of the invention is to provide a very simple,economical and l rugged support, for an agitating mechanism ingasubstantial, rugged vessel of this char:

acter at hand, it becomes practicable to produce a washing machinehaving all of the functions of a more expensive machine, at a veryeconomical cost.

Another purpose of the invention is to produce a support for a washingmachine mechanism of this character which is con,-

'structed to be adapted to vessels of different diameters, there beingadjusting means for adjusting the support to. the vessel to hold itfirmly thereon while adapting the support or attachment to vessels ofdifl'erent diameters.

Other objectsof the invention are to improve and simplify devices ofthis general character, and the invention consists in the Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

1920. Serial No. 373,077.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line I 3-3 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings, 10 designates a vessel which may be of anyknown character. It is herein shown as having the form of a tub, and maybe a sheet metal or galvanized iron tub with the usual bead rim 11. Y e

The support, designated as a whole by 12, has the form' of aspidercomprising four arms 14 radiating from a center, which center is theaxis of the shaft 15 of the dolly 16 or other agitating element. Thesearms of the spider may conveniently be the four end parts of twointersecting members which may be joined at their crossing point in anysuitable manner. As herein shown, said arms 14 are made of relativelyheavy gage sheet metal,galvanized metal being suitable, and they arefixed together at their intersection by means of a relatively heavy wooddisk or block 17 that acts as a rigidifying element for the spider andsupports the operating mechanism hereinafter to be described. The meansfor attaching the said disk or block 17 to the arms 14: comprises boltsor rivets 18 that extend through the block or disk 17 and through theunder lying metal bars that constitute the arm 14,-some of these rivetsorbolts 18 constituting the means for attaching the agitator actuatingmechanism to the block or disk 17, as will hereinafter be described.

The outer ends or terminals of the arms 14 take the form of downturnedflanges or hooks 19 that engage over the rim of the vessel 10 and arepreferably curved to correspond to the curvature of the rim. The saidhook-shaped terminals of the spider arms may be fixedly attached to thevessel 1G by means of thumb screws 20, which are threaded through thehooks 19 and are adapted to bear at thei: ends against the outer side ofthe vessel 10.

If the device is intended to be made for a vessel of a single givendiameter the said spider arms may be made non-extensible or continuouslyintegral. However, it is-desirable, in order to lessen the number ofstandard, supports or equipments requlred to be kept in stock, toprovide means whereby the support is adjustable to the vessels. Apractical way of thus adjustin the splder arms to vessels or receptacles0 different dlameters is to make each arm of two parts 21 and 22 withtheir ends adapted to lie one over the other in a generall overlappingor telescopic arrangement an to provldc one of the members of theoverlapping parts of each arm,- the lower member 21 as shown, with aslot 23 through which extends a headedpin or screw '24, the head ofwhich bears against the lower member at the sides of the slot 23, andthe upper end of WlllOll pm or screw is threaded to extend through aregistering opening in the up er member 22 to receive a thumb nut 25.bus each arm may be elongated, and through the screw plns 24, the partsthereof ar'e locked rigidly together.

As a further means for producing a rugged adjusting connection betweenthe two members 21 and 22 of each arm, one of the members, the lowermember 21 of each arm, is

' made wider than the other member and is turned upwardly at its sidemargins, beyond duce guide flanges 26 within which to receive the otheror upper member of the adjustable arm, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3.In order to carry out the principle of the telescopic spider arms foradjustably adapting the support to vessels of difl'erent diameters, thelower members 21 of the s ider arms, and which are the fixed mem ers,extend continuously across the intersecting point of the spider arms andare fashioned at the upper sides of their ends to produce the guideflanges 26, and the hooked members 22 are relatively short pieces thatare overlapped on the ends of .the parts 21 within said hooked flanges asuflicient distance to give the desired range of adjustment. At thecenters of the members 21 or where they intersect and are connectedtogether, the full widths of the members are maintained, as shown at 27,so as to give reliable joining effect or connection at the intersectionsof the spider arms, as bestshown in Fig. 2.

The mechanism for actuating the agitating element 16 is a simplemechanism. It comprises as herein shown a horizontal bevel pinion 28which is fixed to the shaft 15 of the agitating device or dolly and alarge bevel gear 29 that is mounted to rock on a stud 30 which is fixedto and extends laterally from asuitably shaped standard 31 that upperend of the agitator or dolly shaft 15.-

he construction described is a very .simple one which can be made atsmall cost and readily assembled, inasmuch as it is practicable to makethe spider parts of sheet metal of the required gage; and said spidermembers can be fastened to each other and to the block by simplefastening expedents,-the bolts or rivets 18, some of whic latter, asbefore stated, constitute means for fixing the operating mechanismbracket to the support. Another advantage of the construction described,in addition to its adjustability to different sized vessels 10 is thatthe members of the spider arms are made of sufficient width to afl'ordsuificiently wide arms or members twisting under operatin stresses; andthis in addition to the sliding flanged connection of one of the membersof each spider arm with the other member produces .a very ruggedstructure and one which will withstand hard usa e without danger of theparts getting out o alinement.

If desired, the angular spaces between the spider arms may be filled bysheet metal segments so as to entirely cover the top of the tub,'withone of. said segments hinged to constitute a door but in practice thisexpedient in many uses of the device will not be necessary.

I claim as my invention:

' 1. An improved support foran agitating device to convert a tub or likevessel into a washing machine, comprising a frame having intersectingflexible arms adapted to engage over the rim of the vessel and to beconfined thereon, and an axially disposed rigidifying element fittedover the intersection of said arms and attached to said arms forsupporting an agitator shaft and the mechanism for actuating it.

2. An improved support for an agitating device to convert a tub or likevessel into a washing machine, comprising a frame having intersectingflexible arms adapted to engage over the rim of the vessel and to beconfined thereon, and an axially disposed rigidifying element fittedover the intersection of said arms and attached to said arms forsupporting an agitator shaft and the mechanism for actuating it, andmeans for locking the free ends of said arms over the rim of the tub,and tensioning said flexible arms.

3. An improved support for an agitating device to convert a tub or likevessel into a washing machine, comprisinga frame hav- -mg intersectingflexible arms adapted to engage over the rim of the vessel and to beconfined thereon, and an axially dlsposed rigidifying element fittedover the intersec-' tion of said arms and attached to said arms beyondthe intersecting portions thereof, and provided with an opening inregister with an opening in the frame to receive a bearing for anagitator shaft.

4. An improved support for an agitating device to convert a tub or likevessel into a Washing machine,'comprising a frame having radiatingflexible arms adapted to engage over the rim of the vessel and to beconfined thereon, and an axially disposed rigidifying element at theintersection of said arms for supporting an agitator shaft and themechanism for actuating it, said arms being telescopic, and providedwith locking means cooperating with the telescopic means to securelylock the arms on the rim of the vessel and said rigidifying elementbeing fastened to the inner members of said telescopic arms.

In witness whereof I claim the foregoing as my invention, I hereuntoappend my signature this tenth day of April, 1920.

LAWRENCE MAPLES.

